Bicycle cleat assemblies of this particular kind typically include a spring housing and an overlaying bottom plate configured to be attached to the sole of a user's shoe. The spring housing and bottom plate, together, define a central opening sized and configured to conformably receive a clipless bicycle pedal. The spring housing supports one or more spring clips adjacent to the central opening, for engaging and releasably retaining the clipless bicycle pedal.
When the cleat assembly is disengaged from a pedal and the user is walking about on the ground, the cleat assembly's bottom plate is in direct contact with the ground. Debris such as dirt, sand, mud and rocks can enter the central opening of the cleat assembly as the user walks about. Once debris enters the central opening, it can impede the spring clip's ability to accept the pedal. Eventually, the central opening can accumulate an amount of debris that prevents entirely the insertion of the pedal into the cleat assembly.
In addition to making it more difficult to insert the pedal into the cleat assembly, the presence of debris in the central opening can impede the spring clip's ability to securely engage and releasably retain the pedal. As a result, the user can have the false impression that the pedal is properly seated in the cleat assembly when in fact it is not.
The presence of debris such as sand and dirt in the central opening of the cleat assembly can also increase the rate at which the cleat assembly components wear out during engagement and disengagement of the cleat assembly and the pedal.
It should be appreciated from the foregoing description that there is a need for an improved cleat assembly that overcomes the drawbacks discussed above. Specifically, there is a need for an improved cleat assembly that inhibits debris from entering the central opening of the cleat assembly when a user's shoe is disengaged from a pedal and the user is walking about on the ground. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides further related advantages.